Awe, Nice!
Short interviews from people who work outside, about a moment of wonder they experienced. Wonder at Work.
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Mike Ewing
05/04/2025
Mike Ewing
This week, I interviewed Mike Ewing. While Mike doesn’t work outside all the time, he’s committed thousands of hours to service work on the Appalachian Trail, that’s the legendary 2200-mile route that runs through 14 states, from Georgia and Maine. About 300 of those trail miles are in Maine. I’m from Maine and, as a kid, I spent lots of time camping and hiking. The 8-, 10-, 12-year old me thought those were vacations, but they were actually us doing service work on sections of the Appalachian Trail. For listeners who have mostly hiked in the western states, it’ll be helpful to describe the stark contrast between here and there. Maine gets a lot of rain. Maine is heavily forested. Hiking can be daunting. Often you can’t see where you’ve been or where you’re going. It’s easy to get lost. Some trails are only for the fit and agile, with house-size boulders and seemingly endless verticality. Particularly craggy sections are called notches. They aren’t gaps or passes – which are other ways to describe low points between mountains. Notches are more gnarly and treacherous. My son, Beau, believes they have their own kind of weather. He’s hiked Maine’s Mahoosuc Notch, reputed to be the Appalachian Trail’s most difficult mile, and said, “it’s technical and easy to get injured there. And if you do get hurt, it’s hard to get out.” Mike, who went to Colorado State University and worked for the forest service in northern Colorado after graduating, maintains a stretch that includes Sawyer Notch and Hall Mountain. . We’ll share an interactive map of the AT in the show notes. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Find his music here. Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Nina Fuller
04/24/2025
Nina Fuller
Nina Fuller lives in my native state of Maine where she raises a small flock of sheep on her farm in Hollis. I grew up in Harpswell which is about 60 miles up the coast. In fact, she mentions Harpswell in this segment. Nina also is an accomplished photographer. Check out her brilliant work . Nina's is a true explorer and lifeling learner. Who gets into sheep farming in her 60's? Nina does. Oh, and, she also has a master's degree in counseling pschology. Farms and ranches vary in scale. My friend, Sarah, visited a ranch in South America last year which managed 20,000 sheep. Nina has about 40, along with horses, on her 35 acres. Each year, she swears she’s going to scale down, but it can be hard to part with ewes when you know them well, name them, and develop histories with. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, contact us . Our music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl, who knows a bit about wonders at work. Last name “t u y l” Find more of his terrific music Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Chuck Haraway
04/13/2025
Chuck Haraway
For decades, Chuck Haraway worked as a Colorado lineman, mostly in the area west of Denver. The country there is mountainous and rugged. Ten thousand foot peaks abound. Much of the line work for him was in the backcountry, where lines were maintained by hiking to and then climbing up the 40-foot utility poles to service them. This segment actually has two stories I think you'll enjoy. It happens that our interviewee is an exceptional athlete. He’s competed in many triathlons, including the full Ironman in Hawaii. He’s directed triathlons in the Denver area. And the 77-year old has cycled up and down Lookout Mountain thousands of times. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Consider supporting Awe, Nice! . Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time. Our music is by my friend, Forrest Van Tuyl, who knows a bit about wonders at work. Last name “t u y l” Find more of his terrific music from a link at Awenice.com Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Doug Wilkerson
03/27/2025
Doug Wilkerson
I interviewed Doug Wilkerson. I met Doug at a ranch roping event and just thought he had a great way of connecting with his horse, and, of course, he’s a heckuva hand. Here he is to tell us a bit about himself, his livelihood, and a moment he’ll remember forever. Little unsuspecting moments of epiphany can end up being pivotal in our journeys, can’t they? It’s like they are waiting out there in the brush, ready for you if you’re ready for them. Doug and his wife Haley and their infant son came to , a mental health forum for those in the horse community. They were a delight, a pair of insightful folks who have experienced a lot in their lives already. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Consider supporting Awe, Nice! . Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Daniel Dauphin
03/27/2025
Daniel Dauphin
I interviewed , a Louisiana horseman and expert in bits and horse mouth anatomy. Here he is to tell us a bit about himself, his livelihood, and a moment he’ll remember forever. Maybe you can tell from Daniel’s voice, that he’s kind of a big Teddy Bear built guy. We are both writers and we joke often about word count. If I write a hundred words, I’ll try to get it down to half that. If Daniel writes a hundred words, count on it ultimately being, hmm, maybe a thousand. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Consider supporting Awe, Nice! . Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Dan Flitner
03/27/2025
Dan Flitner
I interviewed Dan is a Wyoming native who now ranches in Oregon. Here he is to tell us a bit about himself, his livelihood, and a moment he’ll remember forever. There’s nothing like a big storm to reminds us of our smallness. Dan knows folks who’ve been hit by lightning. Some lived. Some did not. His dad’s buddy had his quarters and dimes melted right in his pocket. That happened to a friend of mine here in Montezuma County, too. Smells are pungent after a storm. Yes, there is the smell of ozone, a lightning-generated gas. But the soil and plants give off smells, too. Around here, it's the sweet, rose-y smell generated by the sage. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Consider supporting Awe, Nice! . Keep your eyes, ears, and mind open. Until next time.
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Caitlyn Taussig
03/27/2025
Caitlyn Taussig
I interviewed , a longtime rancher in northern Colorado and a talented singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice. Here she is to tell us a bit about herself, her livelihood, and a moment she’ll remember forever. Caitlyn and I worked together on a short documentary, , about ranching women, their dogs, horses, and cows. I’m so grateful to Caitlyn and her mom, Vicki, for their participation, their generosity and insights. A Brutal, Beautiful Life is screening now at film festivals. AweNice welcomes interviewees. If you have a moment you experienced while working outside and would like to share it, . Our music is by my friend, , who knows a bit about wonders at work. Consider supporting Awe, Nice! .
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